


Spies On Every Corner

by ScorpioGirl1987



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Betrayal, Chases, Crimes & Criminals, Drama, Dreams and Nightmares, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Father Figures, Female Friendship, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Mentors, Minor Character Death, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Resistance, Secrets, Star Wars - Freeform, Star Wars Resistance, War, trap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2019-12-26 21:52:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18290954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorpioGirl1987/pseuds/ScorpioGirl1987
Summary: Crossover-ish with Star Wars Resistance, Rebels, and The Clone Wars. After liberating Ikkrukk from the First Order, Poe goes to the remote ocean planet Castilon to answer a distress call from one of the Resistance spies only to find the planet completely deserted! They eventually find them on another planet and join forces to stop the First Order. Rated for swearing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is a crossover-ish of the sequel trilogy and Star Wars Resistance. This takes place after the Poe Dameron comic #31. Set, obviously, after season 1 of Resistance. Spoilers for the finale, obviously, so be warned! This also has slight Damerey friendship building into something more, and mentions of Kaz/Synara.

_Ten days ago..._

After returning to D'Qar, Poe updated Leia about his little adventure.

"Anyway, did I miss anything exciting?" Poe asked.

"Yes, actually." Leia nodded. "I received a message from Kaz the other day."

"Kaz? Is he okay?" Poe asked, with concern.

"Health-wise, he seemed okay." Leia replied. "He said that the First Order took complete control of the Colossus and they need help. Unfortunately, we had no ships to spare, you were missing..." She sighed.

Poe turned around, sighed, and stared out into the distance with concern. _'Hang in there, kid.'_ He turned back to Leia. "As soon as we stop the First Order from doing whatever it is they're planning, I'm heading straight to Castilon."

XX

Poe flew through hyperspace towards Takodana. He received a hologram of Leia, who looked distraught. "Poe, it happened."

"What happened?" Poe asked.

"The First Order just destroyed the entire Hosnian System." Leia announced. "That must be why they were drilling so much dedlanite."

Poe stomach dropped. "Oh my God...no. Oh, Kaz..." The poor kid. He just lost his home, everything and everyone he knows. He took a deep breath. "As soon as I get to Takodana...ohh! They are in for it!"

XX

_One week ago..._

 

They had finally found the First Order's superweapon Starkiller Base. On the way, Poe's thoughts again went to Kaz. He wondered if he knows his homeworld has been destroyed. He wondered how he was taking it. On any other day, he would have gone to Castillon, liberated the Colossus, and invited Kaz along for the ride to Starkiller Base so he could have some form of payback. But, they were pressed for time. Hopefully, news of the destruction of the base will reach Castillon and it will cheer him up.

X

"All units, this is Black Leader." Poe said as he flew through the interior of the base. "Target structure has been breached! I repeat: target integrity has been breached! There's an opening. Now's our chance! Hit it hard, give it everything you've got!"

Poe and his squadron shot at the interior walls. Poe noticed a small explosion from an oscillator and headed towards it. He took a deep breath and tightened his hands on the trigger. _'This is for you, Kaz.'_ He shot the oscillator, which went off without a hitch.

XX

_Three days ago..._

Poe lead the remaining Resistance through the back of the caves. Connix caught up to him.

"Connix, did anyone respond to our distress call?" Poe asked.

"No. They reached multiple points, but...no one's coming." Connix shook her head dejectedly.

Poe exhaled slowly. _'Dammit, Kaz, where are you?'_ He hadn't known Kaz for very long, but he knew him well enough to know that he would jump at the chance to fight the First Order especially after they destroyed his home and murdered his friends and family. He hoped it didn't mean Kaz was captured or killed. He chuckled and shook his head at the irony of Kaz sending out a call for help, Leia was unable to help him; now they sent a distress call to Kaz, who is for some reason unable to help.

XX

Now Poe lay in his bunk on the Millenium Falcon. It has now been two weeks since he last saw Kaz. He wondered if he somehow managed to get the First Order off the Colossus.

_The Millennium Falcon landed in Yeager's Repairs. Poe, Rey, Leia, and the rest of the Resistance walked down the ramp and were greeted by Yeager._

__

__

"'Bout time you showed up." Yeager said good-naturedly.

"Yeah, I was at war with the First Order." Poe shrugged. "Where's Kaz? Is he...?"

Yeager stepped aside as Kaz walked up. He stopped short when he saw Poe. Kaz's expression changed from surprise to fury. He marched towards Poe and punched him in the jaw.

"Kaz!" Yeager admonished.

"You son of a sleemo! You lied to me! You told me we would stop the First Order!" Kaz yelled, his eyes burning with hatred. "I lost everything- my friends, my family, my home- because of you!"

"Kaz, I'm so sorry." Poe said sincerely.

Kaz scoffed softly and shook his head. "You're sorry. You're sorry?! You ruined my life, Dameron. I never want to see you again. I HATE YOU!"

_Yeager and Poe stared in shock as Kaz stormed away. Yeager sighed and shook his head. "You really let him down, Poe."_

Poe woke up and blinked away tears. He took a deep breath, brushed his tears away, and hoped nobody saw it. He sat up and looked around. D'Acy, C'ai, Rose, and Finn were all sleeping; Connix was slowly leafing through a holobook, Chewie and the droids were at the holochess table. He assumed Leia and Rey were in the cockpit and headed there. Sure enough, Leia and Rey were in the pilot and copilot seats respectively talking.

"Ladies. Mind if I join?" Poe asked. Leia and Rey turned around and smiled.

"Of course not." Leia replied.

Poe sat in the seat behind her. "So, where are we headed?"

"Right now, nowhere." Leia replied. "We've been trying to track down any leads on the First Order, but so far, nothing's come up."

Poe remembered Leia telling him about Kaz's distress call. "I have one. Castilon."

Leia's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, that's right. The First Order took over the Colossus."

"Yeah. I think it's about time we come to Kaz's rescue." Poe said.

Leia smiled and stood up. "I'll let everyone know." She squeezed Poe's shoulder and left the cockpit.

Poe climbed into the pilot's seat and entered the coordinates for Castilon. He sighed and smiled. "I have always wanted to fly this thing."

"Really?" Rey asked with interest.

"Yeah. My parents were friends with Han, Chewie, and the Skywalker twins." Poe replied. "Han and Leia had a son, Ben. He and I were best friends when we were little. He and I used to come here in the cockpit and pretend to be flying this thing."

Rey froze. Poe and Ben were best friends? Does he know...? "So, whatever happened to Ben?"

Poe sighed sadly. "He went away to become a Jedi under Luke, but...he was killed when Kylo Ren burned down the academy. Leia and Han were devastated, and it ended up breaking up their marriage."

"I see." Rey stared out the window. _'How could he not know Ben Solo is Kylo Ren? Why didn't Leia tell him?'_

Poe seemed to read Rey's mind and scoffed softly. "Yes, Rey, I am very well aware Ben Solo is Kylo Ren."

"Oh." Rey replied, relieved. "I was gonna say..."

"Yeah. We were so close when we were little, but...well...people change, I guess."

Rey nodded and decided to change the subject. "So, what's the Colossus?"

"A giant refuelling station." Poe explained. "Basically a hangout for star pilots and gamblers. Six months ago, we received intel from the New Republic Navy that someone on Castilon was helping the First Order. It also said there was going to be a full-scale attack on the New Republic. I needed help for that mission, and I thought Kaz was perfect for the job."

"How so?" Rey asked.

"When we met up in space, his squadron was under attack by the First Order." Poe replied. "He had sent his squadmates back to the naval base. Thanks to his quick thinking, we scored a hit on that TIE fighter. I saw a little of myself in him and I was very impressed with how he handled that TIE, so I recruited him for the Resistance. I figured he'd be more motivated and dedicated to fighting for his home, so I recruited him as a spy on the Colossus."

"What was his cover?" Rey asked.

"A mechanic for an old friend of mine." Poe replied. "There were moments when I thought 'What the hell was I thinking hiring this kid? This kid from one of the wealthiest families on Hosnian Prime, the son of a senator, who had no spy training and is a bit...clumsy and not the sharpest tool in the shed.' But, he's really proven himself, and within the first month, he had a suspect: the captain of the whole station, Immanuel Doza. Turns out he is ex-Imperial, and he made a deal with the First Order. Apparently, there had been a lot of pirate attacks in the last year, so he made a deal with the First Order for protection." Poe scoffed. "Mistake. Turns out the First Order wanted the Colossus for their military base. A couple weeks ago, Kaz sent a message to Leia asking for help because the First Order had them on lockdown."

Rey took a deep breath. "Wow. Where to begin? Um...okay, so you knew the First Order was going to attack the New Republic six months in advance and you didn't tell anyone?"

"We didn't have any solid evidence." Poe shrugged. "The senate didn't want to believe or accept that there may be yet another war brewing. I can't really blame them. How many wars has there been in the last fifty years? They were just...done. And they paid the ultimate price for their passiveness. There were also First Order sympathizers within the senate."

"Sounds messy." Rey replied. "So were you able to help?"

Poe sighed heavily. "No. That message was sent after the Lor San Tekka fiasco. Everyone was busy looking for me and BB-8, and...well, you know the rest. I feel terrible."

"Why? You had no idea what was going to happen." Rey said, surprised.

"I know, but...I kind of feel responsible for him, you know?" Poe lamented. "I took him away from everything he knew and threw him in a world he was less than ready for, told him not to contact anyone from his home planet and not to return there, and six months later, his entire world is destroyed after I promised him it wouldn't be. I failed him. I wouldn't be surprised if he hates me now."

Rey shook her head in sympathy and squeezed Poe's shoulder. "No, you didn't. You saved his life. From what I understand, the entire naval fleet was destroyed along with Hosnian. He would have died with everyone else."

"I guess that's a good point." Poe nodded slowly. "Still...I'm just forever glad that he doesn't have a family of his own, 'cause...that would be even worse. I've seen what it's like to lose your family. It's not something you want to go through."

"Leia." Rey guessed.

Poe nodded. "And that old friend of mine I mentioned earlier. His wife and daughter were killed in a tragic racing accident."

"Wow, I'm so sorry." Rey replied. She stared out the window again. All those families died, her parents chose to leave.

They came out of hyperspace to a big ocean planet. Swirls of clouds surrounded the surface.

Poe looked around cautiously. "Well, I don't see any star destroyers orbiting the planet."

"That's good news." They made it into the atmosphere before Rey asked. "So, what's the plan?"

Poe stiffened. "Uh..."

"You don't have a plan?!" Rey exclaimed.

"Well, I got sidetracked. Okay, let's see..." Poe sighed. "I got it. You and Chewie can fly close and distract the TIE fighters while I fly to Yeager's Repairs on the escape pod."

"That...actually sounds brilliant." Rey replied, smiling. They headed for the coordinates of the Colossus and flew out of the clouds.

Poe smiled and turned to Rey. "Rey of Jakku, I present to you..." When he turned back to the window, Poe's smile dropped, his heart sank, and his eyes widened in horror. "No..."

Rey looked around in confusion. "Um, Poe, there's nothing there."

Sure enough, where the Colossus should be, there was nothing but water.

"These are the right coordinates, right?" Rey asked.

"Yes, these are the right coordinates!" Poe snapped, but double-checked anyway. "I don't understand. It should be right here!"

"So you're saying it vanished into thin air?" Rey asked. She looked around. "There are no signs of destruction. Let me use the Force. I've been practicing."

"Okay." Poe nodded and waited patiently while Rey meditated.

Rey stretched out her feelings and her senses soared over the planet's ocean surface. All she saw was endless ocean and the occasional giant fish diving out of and back into the water. She sighed. "There's nothing above the surface except us, and there are no signs of destruction."

Poe exhaled sharply. "Dammit."

Leia walked into the cockpit. "Poe, what's wrong?"

"The Colossus is gone." Poe answered. He groaned in despair and rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair.

"But...how can it be gone? Unless..." Leia sat down and thought about it. "unless it's a ship."

"So the Colossus would be a space station?" Rey asked.

"It has to be. It's the only explanation." Leia replied.

"Then where the hell is it?!" Poe exclaimed.

"I sent Kaz the coordinates to D'Qar...then I sent that distress signal to Crait." Leia said slowly. "Maybe it's on one of those planets."

"Good places to start." Poe said. "We'll head to D'Qar first."


	2. Explanations

_Kaz woke up in his room back home on Hosnian Prime. The walls were lined with holoposters of famous racers and pilots including Poe Dameron and Wedge Antilles. His hologame simulator lay in the middle of the room. He got up and opened up the blinds on his windows to see a flock of snowbirds flying by and blue blossom trees swaying softly in the wind. He sighed in content and headed to the kitchen where he saw his mother making breakfast._

_"Morning, sleepyhead." Nori Xiono smiled warmly. She put a plate and glass of bantha milk on the table. "Come have breakfast. I made your favorite."_

_"Aw, thanks, Mom. You didn't have to." Kaz replied._

_"Of course I did. You deserve it after you single-handedly saved our planet." Nori said. She hugged her son. "Mm. I'm so proud of you." She pulled away and cupped his face in her hands._

_"So am I." Mother and son turned to see Senator Hamato Xiono walk through the kitchen door. "Son, I owe you an apology. You were right about the First Order and the Resistance. I'm so sorry I ever doubted you."_

_"It's okay, Dad. Really." Kaz replied, smiling. "It was nothing, really."_

_"Not nothing? Kazuda, you stuck to your beliefs, you continued on when no one believed you. You were resourceful, you were brave. And for that," Hamato put his hands on Kaz's shoulders. "I am proud to call you my son."_

_Kaz beamed, touched. They embraced warmly._

_XX_

_Next, Kaz found himself at the bridge overlooking the downtown area. Ships were racing in the distance, and speeders were rushing by. He could see the Hanging Gardens and the New Republic Naval Academy. He felt someone run up and hugged him from behind._

_"Hey, there's our home planet hero!" Mia exclaimed._

_"Hey, Mia!" Kaz greeted, smiling._

_"Hail the Hosnian hero!" Hugh called out, walking towards the two. He laughed and gave Kaz a noogie._

_Kaz laughed. "Hugh!" The three friends hugged and laughed. They pulled apart and leaned against the bridge's stone railing._

_"So, Kaz, how does it feel to be the hero, huh?" Hugh asked._

_"Great, actually." Kaz grinned. "General Organa even gave me a medal."_

_"Yeah, and not only that, they're building a new wing at the Academy and naming it after you." Hugh announced._

_Kaz nodded and smiled. "The rewards are nice an all, but, I'm just glad I still have a home to come back to."_

_"Us too." Mia replied._

_Suddenly, the dream changed. The sky turned a reddish-orange color, and a huge ball of fire headed straight towards them. The fire zoomed closer and closer until Kaz was finally knocked off his feet. He was out cold for a minute, then gasped as he woke up on hot stone. He sat up and looked around frantically, for it appeared he was on a lake of lava._

_"You sent us back here." Hugh stood over Kaz with an infuriated look on his face. "You joined up with the Resistance, and you sent us to our deaths!"_

_Kaz shook his head and gasped as Hugh was engulfed in flames. He turned to see Mia, looking hurt, angry, and betrayed. "You promised us you'll be right behind us, but you left us to die!" Mia was promptly burned to ashes._

_"I can't believe you're responsible for this." Kaz turned to see his mother standing with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Your family, your friends, our home- all gone because of you. Kazuda, I thought I raised you better than this."_

_Kaz bowed his head and started crying as his mother was engulfed in flames. He looked up at the sound of his father's voice. "A disappointment to the very end. Why am I not surprised? You failed, Kazuda. You failed!" He was then engulfed in flames._

_Kaz wiped away his tears and turned around to see Poe in his Resistance jumpsuit looking beyond infuriated. "One job. You had one kriffing job, and that was to stop the First Order from attacking the New Republic! I never should have recruited you in the first place!"_

_Kaz watched in horror as Poe was engulfed in flames, then the Hanging Gardens, then the Naval Academy. Kaz looked up to see that pasty-skinned, red-haired man from the holo recording laughing maniacally. He turned to see the planet Castilon in the distance._

_"FIRE!" The red-haired men yelled._

_Kaz watched in horror as yet another large fireball hurtled straight towards the Colossus with all his friends watching._

_"NOOOO!"_

Kaz sat up with a start. He panted for breath and looked around. He was still in his bed at Yeager's Repairs. Neeku stirred a bit, then went back to sleep. Kaz stared out the garage door at the streaks of blue and white and sighed deeply. CB-23 rolled up to him and beeped in concern.

_"Are you okay?"_

Kaz forced a smile. "I'm fine, SeeBee. It was just another nightmare."

 _"Do you want to talk about it?"_ SeeBee-Twenty-Three asked in binary.

Kaz shook his head. "Not really. Go back to sleep." Kaz lay down on his side away from the garage door.

 _"Okay, if you're sure."_ CB-23 rolled away.

Kaz rolled on his back and sighed. He went over the events of the past six standard months in his head.

_6 months ago..._

"So, let me see if I got this right: you're quitting the Navy to become a racer."

Kaz stood in front of his commanding officer and shrugged. "Yeah, the Navy wasn't really for me."

The commanding officer sighed and shook his head. "I can't say I wasn't expecting this. It did seem like you only joined up because your father made you."

"Well, it's not like I didn't enjoy it, it's just..." Kaz sighed. "It's not really what I want in life."

"Okay. Very well, then." The CO cleared his throat. "You'll receive a semi-honorable discharge. Good luck."

XXX

_2 weeks ago..._

"So, Jakku, huh?"

Kaz, Poe, Yeager, and BB-8 headed to Yeager's office.

"Yep. There's a guy named Lor San Tekka who has a map to someone who can help us stop the First Order: Luke Skywalker." Poe explained. "He's in the village of Tuanul, and-"

"Whoa! Poe, should you really be telling us all of this? This is sensitive information!" Kaz exclaimed.

"Well, normally, I wouldn't have, but you two are like brothers to me. I trust you with my life." Poe side-hugged both Yeager and Kaz, who was touched by Poe's admission.

"Wow, thanks, Poe. I-"

"Oh, no. He's getting mushy again." Yeager quipped.

Poe laughed as Kaz rolled his eyes. "I was just gonna say you're like a brother to me, too."

XXX

_12 hours ago..._

Everyone went back to their own domiciles after jumping to hyperspace. Kaz trudged to his bed and lay down. Neeku looked around. "Where's Tam? And why is Kaz so upset?"

Yeager put a hand on Neeku's shoulder. "Let's go to my office. We'll talk there."

The two headed to Yeager's office and sat down. Yeager took a deep breath. "Tam was manipulated into joining the First Order. They've poisoned her against us."

Neeku just blinked at Yeager in shock. "No. I don't believe it. She would never!"

"I didn't want to believe it, either." Yeager shook his head. "But she made her choice. It didn't help that Kaz and I have been lying to both of you for six months."

"About what?" Neeku asked obliviously. Yeager stared at him. "Oh. About Kaz being a Resistance spy? Wait, you knew the whole time? Why didn't you tell me? Or Tam?"

"To keep you two safe from the First Order." Yeager explained. "If they found out about Kaz being a spy and we knew about it, they would have either killed us or tortured us for information."

Neeku nodded. "Okay. I think I understand. Then why would Tam join them if they're so bad?"

"I don't know." Yeager shook his head.

"So is that why Kaz is so upset?" Neeku asked. "Because he feels responsible for Tam defecting to the First Order?"

"I wish that were the only reason, but, I'm afraid that's only part of it." Yeager replied. "The First Order destroyed his home planet earlier this morning. He and Torra were on their way to the cells when they ran into a group of stormtroopers who received a holovideo of a superweapon destroying the entire Hosnian System- Kaz's home."

Neeku stared in shock and his face dropped. "Oh..."

XX

Meanwhile, Synara caught up to Torra. "Torra! Hey."

"Oh, hey, Synara." Torra greeted, smiling. "Thanks for helping us out."

"No problem."

"So, how did you convince the pirates to help you?" Torra asked.

"The First Order kriffed us over. I convinced Kragen to help you out out of revenge against the First Order." Synara explained.

Torra nodded. "Kaz told me you were the pirate spy."

"I'm sorry." Synara replied sincerely.

"It's okay. You helping us out kind of makes up for you lying." Torra replied. She sighed. "Speaking of lying about spying...Kaz is with the Resistance. He was sent here to spy on the First Order."

Synara turned away in shock. She remembered meeting Kaz and him telling her some pilots found her on that freighter. Then she remembered Kragen telling her that her rescuers are with the Resistance. She sighed. "I knew he was hiding something, but...I didn't think it was this."

"I know." Torra nodded. Synara stared at her. She didn't seem the least bit phased about him lying.

"You don't seem upset by this." Synara observed.

Torra closed her eyes, bowed her head, and looked back up at Synara. "Earlier this morning, he and I ran into a group of stormtroopers watching a holovid of the First Order firing a giant planet-killing machine that destroyed the entire Hosnian System. That was Kaz's home system."

Synara was shocked. "Oh my Force. He told me he was from Coruscant, but that must have been his cover." She sighed. "Poor kid."

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong: I'm not happy about him lying to me for the last six months, but...it's kind of hard to be mad at him after he just lost everything and everyone he knows." Torra admitted.

Synara nodded. "I agree. So, how's Tam? I didn't see her in the hangar."

"Oh. Tam joined the First Order." Torra replied solemnly. "She found out Yeager and Kaz has been lying to her, Neeku, and everyone else for half a year. I kind of think she joined them to get back at Yeager and Kaz for lying."

"Wow. Much has changed since I left." Synara quipped. "Does she know I'm a pirate spy?"

"Yeah. Neeku told her." Torra replied. "She took it surprisingly well according to Kaz."

Synara smiled wryly. "Unless he lied about that, too."

Torra laughed and playfully shoved Synara. "Real funny."

XXX

By the following afternoon, everyone on the Colossus knew that not only was Kaz a Resistance spy, but Neeku also jumped them to hyperspace and they have no idea where they were headed.

Kaz walked through the marketplace and ignored the stares and whispers as he passed. When he walked into Aunt Z's Tavern, everyone stopped talking and turned to stare at him. Kaz just headed to the counter.

"Well, if it isn't Kaz the Spy." Aunt Z said dryly. "I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say that Poe hired you and brought you and BB-8 here."

"You guessed right." Kaz replied shrugging. "A couple weeks ago, Poe and I switched droids. He needed BB-8 for a mission. I told everyone I took Beebee to Takodana for minor repairs."

"Hmm. Wanna hear something ironic?" Aunt Z asked. "I saw BB-8 on Takodana yesterday."

Kaz looked up in surprise. "What? What was he doing there?"

"Running from the First Order." Aunt Z replied. "Apparently, he had vital information hidden inside him."

 _'The map to Luke Skywalker.'_ Kaz thought. "Was Poe with him?"

"Nope. An older guy, a young man, and a young woman about your age were with him." Aunt Z replied. "Rumor has it that Poe had been captured by the First Order on Jakku. He escaped, but he crash-landed back on Jakku. No one's heard from him since."

Kaz turned away, reeling from the news. Poe can't be dead, too. Not after he just lost everyone. He can't lose Poe, too. "Uh...what can you tell me about the people Beebee-Ate was with?"

"Just that the girl is a scavenger from Jakku, the young man is with the Resistance or something, and the older guy is Han Solo." Aunt Z replied. "Now...you gonna order something or just sit there all day?"

"Uh...yeah." Kaz cleared his throat. "Jett juice and a fruit bowl."

"Coming right up." Aunt Z said.

Kaz wandered to a table and sat down and stared out the window. This was a lot to take in. Poe and Beebee-Ate were seperated, Poe was captured, escaped, and crash-landed on Jakku, and no one's heard from him since...

As if he didn't hate the First Order enough already.


	3. Downward Spiral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I was not expecting them to show the season 2 premiere at Celebration! I'm also surprised it hasn't been leaked online yet! So, I guess this chapter takes place before the premiere. I can't decide if I want to spoil it by summarizing it or just writing how I think it's gonna go down.
> 
> So, this takes place before the premiere. The Sequel Trio all had their low points in TLJ...it's Kaz's turn.

Kaz slowly moved around his fruit with his fork. He couldn't get his mind off Poe and Beebee-Ate. He was so unfocused, he didn't notice Synara sit across from him. Synara cleared her throat to get Kaz's attention.

"Oh. Hey, Synara." Kaz greeted.

"Torra told me everything." Synara said calmly.

"Oh..." Kaz sagged his shoulders.

"So, poor kid from Coruscant, huh?" Synara raised an eyebrow.

Kaz scoffed lightly. "Well, I'm poor now."

"Yeah, I heard about the Hosnian Cataclysm. I'm so sorry." Synara said sincerely.

"Thanks. I'm sorry I deceived you." Kaz replied.

"I forgive you. I'm also the last person who should cast stones." Synara replied. "I'm sorry I also deceived you."

"I forgive you." Kaz replied.

"So, the Resistance pilots who rescued me from that freighter...that was you, wasn't it?" Synara asked.

Kaz nodded. "Me and Poe Dameron."

"I see." Synara nodded. "Well, thank you, Kaz for saving my life."

"You're welcome." Kaz smiled.

"I suppose I owe you a life debt." Synara said.

"You don't owe me anything." Kaz shook his head.

"Just my life." Synara pointed out. "Torra also told me about Tam joining the First Order."

Kaz sighed sadly. "Yeah. It's all my fault. I should have told her the truth sooner."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for that. Our choices are our own." Synara shrugged and also sighed sadly. "Tam could have chosen to understand why you and Yeager lied. After all, Neeku, Torra, and I do."

"I know, but...still. She was one of my best friends. I feel terrible for ruining her life like that." Kaz said. Synara looked at him in surprise. "What? What? You don't think I'm capable of feeling terrible for something I've caused?"

"No, that's...that's not what I'm surprised at." Synara replied. "I'm surprised you consider Tam one of your best friends."

Kaz scoffed lightly. "Well, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but..." Synara hesitated. She wasn't sure if Kaz is in the right frame of mind to hear this.

"What?" Kaz asked. "Synara, whatever it is, it can't be worse than what I'm feeling right now."

Synara exhaled slowly. "Okay. Just remember: you asked. Tam doesn't really like you all that much. She doesn't trust you at all."

Kaz was thrown. He thought Tam at least considered him a friend towards the end. He exhaled slowly. "I know I've lied to her and kept taking the Fireball and was a bit lazy when it came to work, but...really? "Does she consider Neeku a friend?"

"Yeah, he's one of her best friends, actually." Synara said.

"Oh. I see." Kaz replied. Anger bubbled up inside him. "So, in order for Tam to consider you a friend, you have to start rumors about her, sign her up for a race which ends up almost getting her killed,"

Synara's eyes widened when she saw Neeku walking towards them. "Um, Kaz..."

Kaz ignored her and continued. "...telling strangers- especially the First Order- everything, and I mean literally everything about her, take everything way too literally, change their opinions about everything every five seconds, be rude and selfish, does not think things through..."

"Kaz!" Synara snapped.

"What?!" Kaz snapped back. Synara pointed behind him. Kaz turned around and gasped in surprise when he saw Neeku standing behind him looking both hurt and angry.

"Wow, Kaz. I had no idea you had such low opinions of me." Neeku said. "I was going to be kind and unselfish, and let you know I'm here for you, since you lost all your friends and your family. It appears I would just be wasting my time." Neeku stormed off.

Kaz exhaled sharply and put his hand to his forehead. "Nice work, Xiono." He stood up. "Be right back." Kaz raced after Neeku, who was storming down the corridor. "Neeku, wait! I'm sorry." Kaz said sincerely. "I didn't mean what I said. I was just angry."

"Really? 'Cause it sure sounded like you meant it." Neeku said without turning around.

Kaz gently grabbed his wrist to get him to stop walking. "I didn't. Look, I was just angry. People say stupid things when they're angry."

"I understand. I'm still angry at you, so just...leave me alone for now." Neeku pulled out of Kaz's grasp and continued down the corridor.

Kaz sighed heavily and headed back to his table. "Well, I just keep losing friends all over the place."

"May I suggest you think before you speak, then?" Synara raised an eyebrow.

"You may." Kaz deadpanned. "I really didn't mean everything I said. I was just venting and..."

"I understand." Synara assured him. "Hey...why don't we change the subject?"

"That's a good idea." Kaz replied, relieved.

"So, Torra told me you were spying on the First Order for the Resistance." Synara said.

"Yeah. I was supposed to find out who the First Order spy is." Kaz replied. "Apparently someone on Castilon is...was helping them. I thought it was Doza at first, but he turned out to be a red herring."

Synara felt a sense of dread creeping up on her. "Did your source say that someone on the Colossus was the First Order spy or someone on Castilon?"

"Well, Castilon, but the Colossus was the only civilization above the surface, wasn't it?" Kaz asked.

"Um, no. Actually...the pirates also lived on Castilon in our ship." Synara admitted. "We were the ones who were hired by the First Order."

Kaz's left eye started twitching. "Really?"

"I'm not sure if we're the spies you're looking for exactly, but...we were hired to cause trouble at the Colossus in order for Doza to turn to the First Order for help." Synara said.

"Are. You. Kriffing. Kidding me?" Kaz said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry." Synara said sincerely.

"So, that...that freighter...that was a setup, wasn't it?" Kaz asked, his voice shaking with rage.

"No!" Synara exclaimed. "We had no idea you and your friend would be nearby."

"And Starkiller Base?" Kaz clenched his fists and felt his face flush with anger. "Did you know about that and what they were going to do with it?"

"No. I knew they were planning something, but I had no idea the nature of it." Synara insisted. "Kaz, I swear to you, if I had known, I would have told you- or at least told someone."

Kaz calmed down a little. They both heard Kragen and a few pirates enter the tavern talking and laughing. Kaz turned around and glared at the pirates with purest hatred. "He knew." Kaz jumped up and started storming towards them.

Synara jumped up to follow him. "Kaz, wait! You don't know that for sure."

Kaz marched up to Kragen and punched him in the jaw.

"Oh, what the hell?!" Kragen exclaimed. Before he could hit Kaz back, Kaz grabbed his throat.

"You bantha crap shoveling, nerf-herding nerko! You knew about Starkiller Base!" Kaz yelled angrily.

Synara rushed over and pulled Kaz off of Kragen. "Kaz, stop!"

"Let go of me!" Kaz struggled against Synara as she dragged him off towards the exit.

Synara turned her back to Kragen and the pirates and set Kaz down and grabbed his shoulders. "Kaz, stop it! This isn't helping things."

"He knew. He needs to pay." Kaz seethed.

"Again, we don't know that for sure." Synara replied. "And you are not in the right frame of mind to investigate this. So, do yourself a favor: take a walk, calm down."

Kaz huffed, shook his head, and stormed out of the tavern. Synara sighed and turned back to Kragen, who was already plotting Kaz's demise.

XXX

Kaz took deep breaths as he walked through the station, which seemed to calm him down some.

"Hey, Kaz. Kaz!"

Kaz turned around to see Rucklin walking towards him. "Oh, no, no, no, no. You do not want to fight me right now. You do not."

"Easy. I didn't come here to fight. I came here to talk." Rucklin raised his hands to calm him. Kaz calmed down and nodded. "I heard about the Hosnian System. That was your home, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Kaz answered warily.

"I see. So, your entire life, everything you've worked for, all your savings exploded right in front of you." Rucklin mused. He nodded. "Not fun when that happens, is it?"

Kaz was stunned. "What?"

"You know, I was going to get you back for destroying my racer, but it looks like the First Order did that for me." Rucklin said, smugly. He smiled. "So I guess we're even now."

Kaz couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you...seriously comparing losing your home, your family, and friends to losing a racer?"

"No, I suppose losing your home, your friends, and your family is a lot worse than losing a racer; which makes this so much better." Rucklin chuckled with glee. "'Cause you totally deserved that."

Something snapped within Kaz. He angrily kicked Rucklin in the groin. Rucklin doubled over in pain, and Kaz threw him against the opposite wall. Rucklin crumpled to the ground. Kaz turned him over on his back and started relentlessly punching him.


	4. The Unknown

Kaz woke up on a hard cot. He looked over at the red energy shield of his cell. He sighed and stared up at the ceiling. The last thing he remembered was someone pulling him off of Rucklin, who was on the floor bleeding and unconscious.

And now he was in jail. Kaz groaned in despair and rubbed his eyes. "Force, what have I done?"

"Well, it's good to know you're showing some signs of remorse." Kaz jolted upright and turned to see Yeager standing at his cell door.

Kaz sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Yeager. I don't know what came over me. Did I kill him?"

"No, you didn't." Yeager shook his head. "You messed him up pretty bad, but that little sleemo's still alive."

Kaz sighed in relief and shook his head. "How long am I in here for?"

"That depends." Yeager folded his arms. "What set you off like that?"

Kaz went over everything that had happened the night before: his conversation with Synara, apologizing to Neeku, attacking Kragen, and then his confrontation with Rucklin. "He threw the destruction of my home planet in my face and told me I deserved it."

Yeager stared in shock. "That is not okay."

"It's the opposite of okay." Kaz replied. Feelings of regret and guilt crept through his veins. "I just lashed out. After everything that's happened recently, I just...I don't know if it grew there recently or if it has always been there...but that really dark place...I just went there."

"We've all been there, Kaz." Yeager said gently. "It happens to the best of us. What's important is how you continue forward."

Kaz nodded. "Thanks. Um...that is not a place I want to go again."

"I'm glad to hear that." Yeager replied, smiling. "I'll tell Doza what you just told me, and then we'll discuss your punishment."

"Okay. Sounds good. Thanks." Kaz replied.

XX

A while later, Doza paid a visit to Kaz's cell. He turned off the plasma screen. "Kaz, you're free to go."

"R-really?" Kaz stood up.

"Yeager explained everything. You've been through much, but that doesn't excuse you brutally beating someone up even if they deserved it." Doza replied. "But, you helped save this station, and you're taking responsibility for your own actions. With that said, you are hereby on probation for six months."

Kaz nodded. "I understand. And I'm planning on apologizing to Rucklin."

"I think that's a good idea." Doza replied.

XXX

Kaz's first stop was the medical station. Rucklin was still laying on a cot, his face covered with bacta gel. Rucklin glared at Kaz. "Get. Away. From. Me."

"I came to apologize." Kaz said sincerely. "I am so sorry I beat you up. You just caught me at a bad time."

Rucklin chuckled humorlessly. "Really? Apology not accepted. Now get out of my sight."

Kaz nodded. "Okay." He just turned and left.

Kaz's next stop was to get a present for Synara. He finally decided on a single flower. He headed to her apartment and knocked on her door.

Synara opened her door. She didn't look happy, but she didn't look unhappy either. "Hello, Kaz."

"Hi. Can I come in?" Kaz asked. Synara nodded and stepped aside to let Kaz in. "I, uh...I owe you an apology for my behavior last night. That wasn't me. I mean, it was me, but..."

"I understand." Synara replied. "And I forgive you."

Kaz smiled in relief. "That was a side to me you will never see again, I promise."

Synara scoffed softly. "Kaz, I'm a pirate. I've seen worse- trust me."

"I believe you." Kaz replied. He held up the flower. "I bought this for you as kind of an apology present, too."

"Well, that's very thoughtful of you." Synara replied, taking the flower. "I managed to talk Kragen down from plotting to kill you. So, debt repaid...to you, anyway."

"Oh." Kaz said, surprised. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Synara replied. "I still feel indebted to your friend Poe, however, so I want to help you solve this First Order spy mystery."

Kaz was a little surprised by that. "I'm flattered, but I'm not sure how you could help me."

"I can talk to Kragen about the First Order." Synara said. "He spills all his secrets when he's heavily drunk. I can get him to drink enough to spill about the First Order spy."

"You-you'd do that?" Kaz asked.

"Of course. I'm a little curious myself, actually." Synara admitted.

"Thanks, that'd be great." Kaz replied. "Can we use comlinks so I can listen in on the conversation?"

"Sure. That's a good idea." Synara replied. "Kragen and his crew usually get drinks at Aunt Z's around 1900 hours each night. I will be there within that hour with a hidden comlink."

"All right. I'll be ready to listen in." Kaz replied. He hesitated before asking. "Not to change the subject, but...have you considered maybe leaving the pirate life?"

Synara was taken aback. "It's all I know. My father was a pirate. Kragen took me in after he died."

"I see." Kaz replied. "I also see the good in you. Yes, you're rough around the edges, but, you are too good for these pirates. Look I know how hard it is- walking away from everything you know. But...sometimes, the thing you're walking away to turn out to actually be better than the thing you're walking away from." Synara turned away from Kaz and shook her head. "Can I tell you the difference between you and me? We both may have wanted out of our current lives, but at least I didn't trade one crew for another. I got something more: a team."

Synara scoffed. "What's the difference?"

"We have each other's backs." Kaz explained.

"Kragen has my back." Synara said defensively.

"Okay, if you say so." Kaz replied. "Look, I'm just saying you'd be safe with us. We look out for each other. That's all I'm going to say. Talk to you later." With that, he left.

Synara exhaled slowly. Kaz had a point, but...there are some things that are just too hard to walk away from.

XXX

Later that evening, Synara stood by the entrance to Aunt Z's. She looked around to make sure no one was watching, pulled out her comlink, and dialed Kaz's frequency. "Hey. You ready?"

"Yep. Let's do this." Kaz replied. He sat at the table, a datapad in front of him.

"All right. Keep quiet and listen." Synara said. She hid her comlink inside her jacket and walked into the tavern. Synara looked around until she spotted Kragen and Valik sitting at a booth, drinking and laughing. Valik finished off her drink, stood up, and clumsily walked over to Synara.

"Ugh. Remind me again why we're with Kragen?" Valik asked.

"Because in a galaxy that's going under, to survive, we must learn to plunder." Synara smirked.

Kaz muffled his laughter. That sounded ridiculous!

Valik stared at her and laughed. "Yeah! Now...where's the refresher...?" She walked off.

Synara just shook her head and headed over to Kragen's table.

"Synara!" Kragen slurred. "Come join me for a bottle or two!" Synara forced a smile and sat down. "You know, it's too bad our species aren't compatible. I'd totally tap that!"

Kaz bristled and shook his head. This was the guy Synara had a hard time walking away from.

"Gee, thanks. I'm flattered." Synara deadpanned. A server droid set two bottles of blurrgfires in front of them.

Kragen raised his bottle. "A toast! To...uh...hmm..."

"Living on the Colossus?" Synara suggested.

"Yes! To living on the Colossus!" Kragen exclaimed.

"Hear, hear." Synara replied. She pretended to drink while Kragen chugged his bottle. He let out a large belch. Synara pulled a face and cleared her throat. "So, Kragen...how did you get involved with the First Order in the first place?"

"They wanted the Colossus to use for their military base." Kragen slurred. "They told us to keep attacking the station so that Doza would beg for them to take control."

"Do you know anything about a spy for the First Order on this platform?" Synara asked.

Kragen laughed. "There was never a spy on this platform. Well, not until the Resistance sent one and of course, you."

Kaz's mouth dropped open in shock. There was never a spy?!

"Really?" Synara asked.

"Yeah. I think one of the Resistance commanders whose name I can't remember right now had a 'secret source'." Kragen said. "That 'secret source' lied to him. He told him there was a spy on the Colossus in order to distract him from their big plan."

"Starkiller Base." Synara guessed.

Kragen nodded and took another swig. "I really wish the First Order told us about that. We could have robbed and plundered those rich bantha fodders before they were destroyed!"

"Mmm." Synara nodded. "So, you weren't really passing along information. There was never a spy for the First Order?"

"Well, not until you were rescued by those two Resistance pilots." Kragen replied. He took another swig from the bottle.

"Who was this 'secret source'?" Synara asked.

"Someone in the First Order pretending to be an informant." Kragen explained. "He only communicated with the Resistance through holo-mail and via comlink. He told that one Resistance commander..."

"Poe Dameron?" Synara guessed.

"Yes! Poe Dameron. This 'informant' caused Dameron and the Resistance a lot of trouble last year. He disguised himself, passed along fake intel, and the lunkhead fell for it!" Kragen pounded his fist on the table and laughed uproariously.

Synara forced another laugh. "What's this 'informant''s name?"

"I dunno, uh...Terisk? Terrick? Tarak? Terrish? Terex?" Kragen shrugged. "He wanted revenge against Dameron or something, and he must have used the kid to do it."

Synara nodded. "Well, that's...informative."

"Mm-hmm." Kragen nodded, then passed out, drunk.

Synara sighed quietly, left the table and the tavern and held the comlink up. "Did you get all that? Kaz?"

Kaz swallowed back a sob and held up his comlink. "Yeah, I got all that. Thanks, Synara. Good work."

"You're welcome." Synara replied. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Thank you. Good night." Kaz replied dully, then turned off his comlink.

XXX

Yeager walked out of his private hanger into his office. He stopped in shock when he found Kaz sitting in front of his liquor cabinet drinking a bottle of whisky. On any normal day, Yeager would be furious at him, but he understood. It's part of the grieving process. He just took a deep breath and sat next to Kaz, who was crying softly.

"Wanna talk about it?" Yeager asked.

"It's all for nothing." Kaz said, his voice devoid of emotion.

"What is?" Yeager asked.

"My mission here. The First Order spy..." Kaz laughed ruefully. "There is no spy. Synara got Kragen drunk and he said there was never a spy here. I was just some...stupid pawn in someone's sick revenge game. A distraction from the First Order's real plans."

Yeager stared at Kaz in shock. "Revenge against who? The Resistance?"

"Poe." Kaz replied. "I'm not sure of the details, exactly, but...this guy pretended to be an informant for the Resistance and passed along fake intel."

Yeager took a deep breath and shook his head. "Holy, holy, holy."

"Yeah." Kaz sniffed and took another swig. "My whole mission was based on a kriffing lie!" He threw the bottle against the wall and put his head in his hands. "I was sent here for nothing. My being here was pointless."

Yeager sighed and squeezed Kaz's shoulder. He wanted to tell him otherwise, but he figured Kaz wouldn't remember it the next day. Instead, he stood up and pulled Kaz to his feet. "All right, come on. Let's get you to bed."

"I'm a sham!" Kaz exclaimed, crying. Yeager just shook his head and dragged him off. "Years of academy training wasted!"

"I'll tell you who else is wasted." Yeager muttered.

XXX

The next morning, Kaz woke up with a start. He had another nightmare of the Hosnian Cataclysm. He sat up quickly and immediately regretted it. His head started pounding. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, thankful for the dim lighting of the repair shop. He got up slowly and stumbled to the table and collapsed onto a chair. He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Morning, sleepyhead." Kaz looked up to see Yeager walking towards him with a bowl of fruit and nuts and a cup of caf. He set the bowl and mug in front of Kaz. "Hangover cure. Old family recipe."

"Hmm? Thanks." Kaz replied.

Yeager nodded, then left to get breakfast for himself. When he came back, Kaz was halfway done with his meal. Yeager sat down across from Kaz. "Do you remember anything from last night?"

Kaz froze mid-bite and sighed. "I broke into your liquor cabinet and drank a bottle of whisky. That's all I remember."

Yeager nodded. "I figured as much."

"I'm sorry." Kaz said sincerely. "It won't happen again."

"Well, you have been going through hell this past week, so I'll forgive you this once." Yeager replied.

A smile slowly formed on Kaz's lips. "You going soft on me, Yeager?"

"Don't get used to it." Yeager said firmly.

"Okay, I won't." Kaz replied. He finished his caf and stared into his bowl. "So...what did happen between me breaking into your liquor cabinet and waking up?"

"Well, you told me that you and Synara found out from Kragen that there was never a First Order spy here on the Colossus." Yeager replied. "Apparently an old enemy of Poe pretended to be an informant and passed along fake intel as a distraction from the First Order's real plan."

Kaz nodded solemnly. "Yep. My whole mission was pointless and based on a lie. I was sent here for nothing."

"Nothing? Kaz, you've saved this station more than once! I'm still standing because of you." Yeager replied earnestly. "You helped liberate the Colossus of the First Order, you saved Synara at that freighter, you helped repair that cannon to use against the pirates...and you did something I never imagined was possible: you got me to forgive my brother."

Kaz smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Yeager. I needed that."

"You're welcome." Yeager replied.

Kaz exhaled sharply. "I do wonder who that guy was that hates Poe so much, he uses a random stranger to get revenge on him. Did Poe ever mention an enemy of his to you?"

Yeager shook his head. "Not that I remember."

CB-23 rolled up and greeted the two mechanics.

"Hey, Seebee. You've missed quite a bit over the last fifteen hours." Kaz said. He went over Synara and Kragen's conversation the previous night. "Do you know if Poe has any enemies that have a personal vendetta against him?"

"Actually, yes." Seebee replied in binary. "He outsmarted this guy, Terex, a few times. Terex became obsessed with killing Poe, and that got him kicked out of the First Order. Terex lost everything."

Kaz nodded knowingly. "And let me guess: he blames Poe." Seebee beeped in affirmation. "So, Rucklin on steroids, then."

"Seems like it." Yeager replied. "Seebee, what does he look like? Do you know?"

"All I know is that he has a grey mohawk, a thin black mustache, grey eyes, a cleft chin, and a blue tattoo on his forehead." Seebee replied in binary.

Kaz nodded. "Well, at least we know his name and what he looks like. We need to warn Poe."

"Long-range communications are out." Yeager reminded him. "Until we exit hyperspace, there's nothing we can do."

Kaz slumped in his seat. "I know. I hope Poe is having an easier time than we are."

"Heh. Me too."

XXX

Later that day, the station started to fall apart. Artificial gravity kept failing as Kaz, Torra, and Neeko worked to help repair the ship. Kaz kept bumping into things and accidentally kicking stuff around in anti-gravity ("How are you even clumsier in anti-gravity?!" Torra, who was at home in anti-gravity, exclaimed). Even CB-23 had her own adventure fighting the First Order droid she seemingly defeated during the occupation. After what seemed like hours, they finally came out of hyperspace. Doza and Yeager could see D'Qar in the distance.

"Well, what do you know? The Nikto actually did it." Doza said. "There's D'Qar. Next stop: the Resistance base. How could I ever have doubted him?"

"How much further?" Yeager asked.

"About three parsecs." Doza replied. "All right, let's get all of the coordinates in this time."

Yeager studied the readout. "Wait, there's something wrong. The hyperdrive stopped working."

Doza sighed in irritation. "Well, this station hasn't been mobile in two decades, so I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise."

Yeager nodded. "It might take even longer to get to the planet now."

"How long will it take to fix the hyperdrive?" Doza asked.

"About a day and a half." Yeager replied. "Just in time for us to actually get to the planet in realspace."

Doza nodded. "All right, well, let's get to it, then."


	5. Galaxy's Most Wanted

"Attention citizens, we are a few parsecs away from D'Qar. The hyperdrive stopped working, but we should be there in a day and a half in realspace." Captain Doza announced over the PA.

Everyone cheered. Kaz laughed in triumph and side hugged Neeku. "Neeku, you did it!"

"Yeah...I suppose I did." Neeku replied. He was surprised with himself.

XX

Once the Colossus entered the atmosphere of D'Qar, the doors were opened. Everyone went to the railings and admired the beauty of D'Qar's forests and hills.

"I never thought I'd miss grass and trees so much." Kaz said with a dazed smile.

"So. Much. Green." Neeku said in awe. There was a slight thud and shake as the Colossus landed. "Look, there's smoke! That's the base right past those hills." Neeku pointed ahead. Sure enough, past the hills in the horizon, a large plume of smoke rose out of the hills like a volcano.

"Let's check it out." Yeager said. He started for the shuttle bay with Kaz, Neeku, and CB-23 close behind.

"You hear that, Seebee? You're almost home." Kaz said, happily.

"I don't know. Something's not right. There's never been that much smoke at the base." Seebee beeped in response.

"Oh. Maybe they built a campfire?" Kaz suggested.

"That's too much smoke to just be a campfire. I've got a bad feeling about this." Seebee replied.

XX

Kaz flew the shuttle towards the base. As they approached, Yeager headed to the back to check on something. Kaz wouldn't stop smiling.

"I've been looking forward to this. I've always wanted to see what the Resistance base is like!" Kaz squealed lightly. His face dropped suddenly as they flew through the smoke to a blackened crater where the base should be. "No..."

"Oh, this is a problem." Neeku said.

Yeager walked up to the window. "Now what?" His mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh, that's perfect." He said sarcastically.

Kaz landed the shuttle and stared out the window in shock. "I don't understand. How...? What happened?"

"Maybe they evacuated." Yeager suggested positively.

"Yeah! They couldn't have gone too far. Maybe they went this way," Neeku spoke up and pointed in different directions towards the sky. "or that way..."

Kaz continued staring out the window. In the distance he could see two charred skeletons laying on the ground. His heart started hammering. 'No...that's not General Organa or Poe. It can't be.'

Yeager put a hand on Kaz's shoulder. "Why don't I fly this time?"

Kaz nodded and stumbled his way to the seats. He sat down with his head in his hands. Neeku sat adjacent to him. "I'm sorry, Kaz. I know how much you wanted to see the Resistance base."

Kaz exhaled slowly and leaned back, letting his hands fall to his lap. "That's the least of my worries right now."

XX

Yeager and Kaz headed to Doza's office to let him know what they found. Doza sighed quietly. "I figured that might have happened." He pulled out a small holoprojector. "We received this transmission two days ago."

Kaz sighed inwardly with relief when he saw Leia appear in hologram. "My allies. The First Order has us cornered at the old Rebellion base on Crait. We are greatly diminished. If any of you are out there, please help us. You're our only hope."

"And this transmission was sent yesterday." Doza switched the frequency. This time, Poe appeared.

"Kaz, Yeager, or anyone who gets this transmission, my squadron- my friends- are in danger. All of the Resistance ships have been destroyed." Poe said. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't desperate. I need a ship. Please call me back."

"I tried calling him back, but it didn't work." Doza replied, shrugging. "He must have changed the frequency."

"What was the point of telling us to call back if he was just going to change the frequency, anyway?!" Kaz exclaimed in frustration.

"Could be several reasons: he found a ship, he changed the frequency so the First Order can't track him down..." Yeager suggested.

"Well...at least we know he's okay." Kaz sighed. "General Organa, too."

"That's the spirit." Yeager nodded.

"I'll let you know if I hear from them again." Doza said.

Kaz smiled. "Thanks, Captain Doza."

XX

Kaz and Yeager stepped off the elevator. Kaz sighed. "I'm sorry I ever doubted Doza."

"What made you doubt him in the first place?" Yeager asked.

"Aunt Z told me Doza works for the First Order." Kaz admitted. "It was during the power outage about a month after I came here."

Yeager stopped and stared at Kaz in disbelief. "The power outage? The same power outage that temporarily put Aunt Z out of business? It didn't occur to you that she might have said that out of anger and resentment?"

"Well, now that you mention it, it did..." Kaz replied.

Yeager nodded. "So, you took what she said and you ran with it?"

Kaz glared at Yeager, then sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, well...I'm not making that mistake again."

"Good." They both continued walking. "And I suppose it could have been worse: you could have started a mutiny."

Kaz chuckled wryly. "Yeah, I would have been thrown off the platform for sure. Plus, I don't think Poe would have been too happy with me."

"True."

Kaz stopped suddenly when they walked through the Aces lounge. He flashed back to witnessing the destruction of the Hosnian System, hiding behind the crates, helplessly watching as that superweapon destroyed his home planet, trying to keep his emotions in check so as not to scare Torra or draw attention to themselves...

Yeager turned around and noticed Kaz's silent panic attack. He took a deep breath, raised his hands, and slowly started walking back towards Kaz. "Kaz? Can you hear me? You know where you are? Can I put my hands on your shoulders?" Yeager braced himself as he put his hands on Kaz's shoulders and started steering him towards the turbolift. "Was this where it happened?"

Kaz swallowed and nodded. "I would rather not talk about it."

"Okay, sounds fair." Yeager nodded.

XXX

Over the next few weeks, the Colossus traveled to different planets and made new friends along the way. Yeager and Kaz finally officially joined the Aces, who became the closest thing to law enforcement in the galaxy now. Yeager trained the Aces in combat to prepare them against the First Order.

They discovered that planets are giving up after what happened to the Hosnian System and the Resistance, which infuriated Kaz.

"So, that's it? They would rather the First Order take over the galaxy instead of fighting back?!" Kaz snapped. "Are you kriffing kidding me?! The Emperor wiped out most of the Jedi, but the few remaining Jedi still fought back and joined the Rebellion! I mean, granted they had magic powers and laser swords, but still!"

"That was different. The Jedi were trained and taught to help others no matter how low their spirits were." Yeager explained calmly. Kaz just sighed and shook his head. "Look, I agree with you: we shouldn't give up no matter what, but there's a right and wrong way to go about this. I think it's best we just wait for the opportune moment."

Kaz slumped into a chair. "Waiting was never one of my strong suits."

Yeager scoffed and laughed softly. "Yeah."

Neeku ran in holding a small holoprojector. "Kaz! Yeager! You two are famous!"

"Uh, what?" Kaz asked, confused.

"Look at this." Neeku set it down and brought up a holorecording of a man with shoulder length black hair and pale skin.

"This is Kylo Ren of the First Order." Kylo said over the projector.

'Kylo Ren. Why does that name sound so familiar?' Kaz thought.

"Supreme Leader Snoke has been murdered in cold blood by the last Jedi. It is with heavy heart that I assume the title of Supreme Leader." Kylo continued. "The Resistance is futile. Anyone who sees these murderous traitors, contact the First Order immediately."

Holo-wanted posters started showing up. The first one was of a young woman around Kaz's age named Rey, who has a billion credit bounty placed on her head. Next was a dark-skinned young man a little older than Kaz by name of Finn, aka FN-2187, who also has a billion-credit bounty on his head.

"That guy is a defected stormtrooper?!" Kaz exclaimed.

"That's good news! I mean, if a stormtrooper can defect, so can Tam!" Neeku exclaimed. Yeager nodded in agreement, trying not to get his hopes up.

The next poster was of Poe, who has a billion-credit bounty for destroying a First Order dreadnaught and destroying their superweapon.

"And I missed it?!" Kaz groaned. "I hope they recorded it..."

The next poster was of Leia Organa. Her bounty was half a billion credits for starting the Resistance. The next poster was of Kaz.

"What the kriff did I do?!" Kaz exclaimed.

"Started a Resistance cell, trespassing, impersonating a stormtrooper, resisting arrest..." Neeku said.

"Oh, yeah..." Kaz replied. "Two billion credits? I'm not the one who killed the supreme leader!"

"You are from Hosnian Prime." Yeager reasoned. "They probably think you'll want revenge."

"Well, I don't. I want justice." Kaz insisted.

They were surprised when the next poster was of Yeager. A one million credit bounty was placed on him for obstruction of justice and perjury.

"Perjury? What did you perjure yourself for?" Kaz asked.

Yeager sighed. "I told them I was the Resistance spy."

Kaz was floored. "You what?"

"Wait, but I thought Kaz was the spy." Neeku spoke up.

"That's what perjury is, Neeku. It's taking the blame for someone else so they won't get in trouble." Yeager explained.

"Yeager, I did not ask you to do that." Kaz said.

"I know. I did it anyway." Yeager replied.

Kaz didn't know what to say. No one's ever done anything like that for him before. "Yeager, I..."

"You're welcome." Yeager replied.

The last poster was of Captain Doza.

"You know, there's gonna be a lot of people on this platform who are greedy enough to sell all three of you to the First Order." Neeku said bluntly.

"Yeah, I wouldn't put it past them." Kaz said almost bitterly.

"I notice there weren't any New Republic senators on the wanted posters." Neeku commented. He turned to Kaz. "You must be the last one of your people."

Kaz nodded. "Well, it looks like the last Jedi and I have something in common, then. Excuse me." He walked back to his quarters, which was pretty empty save for his good luck trophy. Kaz took the trophy, sighed, and stared at it sadly. It dawned on him that he may be the only survivor of the Hosnian System. The last of the New Republic Navy. He sighed sadly. "Looks like it's just you and me now." He set the trophy back on the shelf and stood up. He was about to leave when his comlink beeped. Kaz answered it, and nearly dropped the comlink when he saw a familiar face show up in hologram.

"Dad?!" Kaz exclaimed softly.


	6. Chapter 6

Kaz stared at the hologram of his very much alive father in shock. "Father? I...I don't understand. How are you alive?"

"Same reason you are. I was off-world on business when the First Order destroyed our home." Hamato explained.

Kaz sighed in relief. "Is...is Mother...?"

Hamato bowed his head sadly. "I'm afraid not."

"But...she always goes with you on your trips." Kaz's voice shook.

"Yes, that's the real tragedy, isn't it? The one time she elected not to come..." Kaz sighed sadly and blinked away tears. Hamato continued. "But, let's not dwell on the past. Your mother will always be with us in our hearts. She'd want us to move on and be happy. Especially since we have each other."

Kaz swallowed and nodded. "I'm gonna spend the rest of my life missing her."

"Me too." Hamato sighed. "Kaz, can you ever forgive me? I should have listened to you about the First Order and the Resistance. Maybe that cataclysm could have been prevented."

Kaz shook his head. "There's nothing to forgive. I probably would have been skeptical, too. Do you know if anyone else from Hosnian survived? My friends? Family?"

Hamato shook his head. "I'm sure there are other Hosnian survivors out there, but, no one we know personally."

"Oh." Kaz slumped his shoulders. "So, where are you now?"

"Coruscant. We still have a house here, and I have money in the bank." Hamato replied. "I was hoping to reach the Resistance in order to help. Are you with them now?"

"No. I'm on the Colossus in space. I've been trying to reach the Resistance, but, they're nowhere to be found." Kaz replied.

"I'm sure you'll find them. In the meantime, Kaz, you've got to get as far away from here as you can. There are bounty hunters after you." Hamato replied.

"I know." Kaz replied. "We don't stay in one place for very long. I'm all right for now. I've been training in stealth and combat."

"That's good. I am proud of you." Hamato replied. Kaz swelled with happiness. He was touched. "Please let me know if you hear from the Resistance."

"I will." Kaz replied. "Good-bye, Father."

"Good-bye, Son. Stay safe." Hamato replied.

"You, too." Kaz replied and shut off the comlink. He sighed with relief as CB-23 rolled over to him. "Things are finally turning around, Seebee. My father's alive, and it looks like we're patching things up. Everything's gonna be just fine." They heard a distant explosion and the alarms started going off. "...On the other hand..."

"Citizens, to your shelters, now! Aces, battle stations! We are under attack. Repeat: we are under attack!" Doza said over the intercom.

"Duty calls, Seebee. Let's go!" Kaz grabbed his flight helmet and rushed out of his quarters. The Aces all hurried to the hangar bay. "Don't wait for me. Go and start the Fireball up!"

CB-23 beeped in acknowledgement and rolled ahead of Kaz and pulled into the astromech socket. Kaz hurried up the ladder and fell into the cockpit, grunting in frustration.

"All Aces, sound off!" Hype called over the comm.

"Ace Two standing by." Torra said.

"Ace Three standing by." Freya said.

"Ace Four standing by." Griff said.

"Ace Five standing by." Said Bo.

"Ace Six standing by." Yeager said.

"Ace Seven standing by." Kaz said as he flew out of the hangar. "Let me guess: First Order?"

"You are correct, sir!" Hype replied. Sure enough, a star destroyer and half a dozen TIEs surrounded the Colossus. "All right, y'all, let's blast these assholes into oblivion! Aces two and three, take out those cannons on that star destroyer. The rest of y'all, let's take out those TIEs!"

Kaz noticed a stray asteroid and a TIE fighter behind him. He flew straight for the asteroid and sent a transmission to the TIE pilot behind him. "Learned this from my friend Poe Dameron, you sleemo." He pulled up and the TIE crashed into the asteroid and exploded. At that point, there were only three TIEs left. Torra and Freya took out the cannons on the star destroyer, but not before Doza's office was blasted through. Griff, Bo, and Yeager blasted what they hoped was the star destroyer's engines.

"They're crippled, but we need to get out of here, now!" Yeager said over the comm. He sent a transmission to Doza. "Captain, they found us again. We need to leave." No answer. "Captain Doza, come in!"

Everyone landed back in the hangar and jumped out of their ships. Hype ran up to Yeager. "Any word from Doza?"

"No. He's not answering." Yeager replied.

"Okay." Hype turned to Griff, Bo, and Freya. "You three find Doza. The rest of you come with me to the control room."

Hype, Yeager, Kaz, and Torra all ran to the control room. Neeku was already up there. "Oh, hello, everyone. I did a quick run through, and we're not being tracked."

"That's great news, Neeku." Yeager headed to the control panel, entered in coordinates, and jumped to hyperspace.

"So, where to next?" Kaz asked.

"The last place the First Order will look: Yavin 4." Yeager replied.

"Where the old rebel base is?" Kaz asked, excitedly. "I've read all the stories about that place! I can't wait to see it!"

Torra nodded. "It's where my mom first joined the Rebellion."

"Is that where your parents met?" Kaz asked.

Torra shifted uncomfortably. "No. No, they didn't meet until after the Battle of Hoth."

Hype's comlink beeped. "Griff. Any word on Doza?"

"Yeah. Bo and I found him outside the turbolift to his office." Griff said gravely. "He's in really bad shape. We're taking him to the medbay."

Torra's eyes widened in horror and she bounded down the stairs towards the medbay. Hype followed her. Kaz started to follow, but Yeager pulled him back.

"Kaz, wait. Before you go, there's something you should know." Yeager said. Kaz turned to him, curious. "There's another reason I chose Yavin as our next destination: we have no other way of contacting the Resistance. But, there's someone there who may have a way of contacting them."

Kaz's eyes widened. "Whoa, wait, you don't mean...?" Yeager nodded. Kaz scoffed and shook his head. "Poe is going to kill you. You know that, right?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll read me all the riot acts, but I am out of ideas on how to find the Resistance." Yeager replied.

"Wait, why would Poe kill Yeager?" Neeku asked Kaz.

"He won't literally kill him, Neeku. That's just a figure of speech." Kaz replied patiently. "Poe will be extremely furious at Yeager, because the hopeful contact is Poe's father."

"Ohhh." Neeku nodded in understanding. "So, Poe doesn't like his father, then?"

"He loves his father, which is why he doesn't want him dragged into this Resistance-First Order mess. He's the only family Poe has left." Yeager corrected. "He's a retired Rebellion Pathfinder turned fruit farmer. Poe's mother and I were in the same squadron at the Battle of Endor."

"So, where is his mother?" Neeku asked.

"She died six years after Endor. Poe was eight years old." Yeager replied.

"Oh. I'm so sorry. How did they end up on Yavin 4?" Neeku asked.

"They moved to Yavin 4 when Poe was just two years old." Kaz jumped in.

Neeku as shocked. "No. No way is Poe Dameron of all people from Yavin 4."

"Poe told me himself." Kaz shrugged. "I was surprised, too. He seems like he'd be from Coruscant or Chandrilla."

"Well, it goes to show that anyone from anywhere can make it." Yeager replied.

"Make what?" Neeku asked, oblivious.

"It's another figure of speech, Neeku. It means that anyone can be successful." Yeager replied.

"Oh. I agree with that." Neeku replied.

"All right, we should be there in about sixteen hours." Yeager said. "Let's go check on Doza."

XXX

Torra and Hype ran all the way to the medbay. She nearly knocked over a med-droid, catching her breath. "Where is my father? Is he okay?"

"Your father suffered major head trauma, internal bleeding, and third-degree burns over 50% of his body." The med-droid answered. Torra let out a few sobs. Hype grabbed her shoulders to steady her. "He's in a bacta tank, but he's in a coma."

"W-when is he gonna wake up?" Torra asked.

"It's too soon to tell. We'll know after twenty-four standard hours." The med-droid replied. "You may see him now."

Torra nodded. "Thanks." She headed into Doza's medical room.

Yeager, Neeku, and Kaz walked up to Hype, who sighed sadly.

"Hey, how's Doza?" Yeager asked.

"He's in a coma." Hype replied. "Torra's in the room with him right now."

"Is he gonna wake up?" Kaz asked.

"We don't know yet." Hype shook his head. "Yeager, you're the only one Doza trusts as a replacement. This ship needs a new captain."

Yeager was afraid of this. Still, he nodded. "Doza's office was blasted away, so I will operate from my office at the shop."

"All right. Where are we headed?" Hype asked.

"Yavin 4. I have an old friend who lives there, and I'm hoping he's been in contact with the Resistance." Yeager replied.

Hype nodded. "All right. I'll update the other aces."

"I'll make an announcement. Neeku, do you think you can handle running the shop for a while?" Yeager asked.

"Oh, uh...I'll do my best." Neeku replied, unsure.

"You'll do great, Neeku." Kaz said encouragingly. Neeku smiled gratefully, nodded, and left with Yeager. Kaz turned to Hype. "I'll stay here for Torra."

"All right. Thanks, man." Hype replied, then left.

Kaz turned around to see Torra walking slowly towards him, looking exhausted. "Hey, Torra. Hype told me about your dad."

Torra's eyes welled up with tears and she just collapsed against Kaz, hugging him around his middle. Kaz was a bit taken aback, but he hugged Torra back, anyway.

"It's gonna be okay. He'll wake up. Just be positive." Kaz said.

"I can't lose him, Kaz. I can't." Torra said tearfully.

"You won't." Kaz said. "Listen, your dad is among the toughest guys I know. He'll pull through."

Torra swallowed and nodded. "I hope you're right."


	7. Making Contact

Kaz spent the last leg of the journey going over the events of the past few days. He found out his father is alive and then Captain Doza was attacked by the First Order and is now in a coma. On an ordinary day, he would be spreading the news that at least one senator- his father was alive, but, he didn't want to seem insensitive to Torra's current situation.

"All right, everyone, we are about to jump out of hyperspace. Be ready." Yeager's voice came over the intercom.

Kaz jumped out of bed and ran to the command deck. They came out of hyperspace just as Kaz reached the top of the stairs, catching his breath. "All right, I didn't miss it!" He walked towards the window and gasped in awe at the huge, red gas giant. As they sailed further, they came upon a smaller, green and blue moon. "Wow. This is so cool!"

"Yep. And no star destroyer. That's a good sign." Yeager remarked. As they approached the atmosphere, Yeager sent a transmission to the spaceport. Rain drizzled through the clouds and onto the windows of the Colossus. "This is Captain Jarek Yeager of the Colossus. Requesting permission to land so we can refuel and resupply."

"Permission granted. Welcome to Yavin 4." Yeager carefully landed the ship near the spaceport. "All right. Wanna gather up the aces in the lounge?"

"Sure. " Kaz started heading downstairs, but then turned around. "The fancy lounge, or the fancier lounge?"

Yeager stared at Kaz in confusion, then realized the hallway lounge might still trigger flashbacks. "The fancier lounge."

"Got it." Kaz replied, hiding his relief.

XX

Yeager walked into the Aces Lounge and was surprised to see only three there. "Where are Bo, Hype, and Torra?"

"Hype has food poisoning, Torra is with her dad, and Bo is running low on Dorin Gas, so he went back home to get some." Kaz replied.

Yeager nodded. "Okay. We have arrived at Yavin 4. There should be plenty of fuel and food in Vomez Village about 10 kilometers north of here, plus plenty of fuel at the spaceport. Griff, you handle the fuel, Freya, you handle the food. Kaz, I can't remember where Kes Dameron's farm is, so you'll have to ask around."

Kaz nodded in determination.

XXX

The Vomez Spaceport had a speeder bike rental, which was surprisingly cheap. Kaz rented a dark green speeder.

"Thanks. Oh, do you by any chance know where the Dameron Farm is?" Kaz asked the Duros rental clerk.

"Yes. It's about five kilometers northeast of Vomez. Just follow the trail outside the spaceport through the village, then take a right. The farm is just past the koyo fruit orchard."

"Thanks!"

XXX

Kaz sped towards Vomez, which had a few shops and restaurants, a general store, an apothecy, a barbershop, a medical bay, and two schoolhouses. The buildings were made of metal, which surprised Kaz. He expected this place to be more primitive. He gazed in awe of the few farms he passed. He finally found the koyo fruit groves and slowed to a stop in front of an oval-shaped house, and a smaller, rectangular house ("Storage shed?" Kaz wondered). He noticed a speeder parked in front of him and another speeder parked under an open garage with a roof. An old-fashioned A-wing sat next to the speeder. Kaz hopped off his own speeder bike and helped CB-23 down.

"Looks like this is the place." Kaz said. "He might be busy with company. Let's peek through the window just to see." Kaz crawled up to the window on the damp grass. He heard voices as he approached the window.

"You are delusional if you think I would ever even consider luring my son into your trap." Kaz heard someone say.

'Wait, what?' Kaz slowly rose up to peek in the window, which was barely open. He held back a gasp when he saw a middle-aged man with a strong resemblance to Poe tied up in a chair with three men with blasters surrounding him. He held back another gasp when he recognized one of the men as Terex! He ducked to CB's height quickly. "Seebee! Poe's dad is being held hostage by Terex!"

"Oh, no! How many guys do you see?" Seebee asked.

"Three total including Terex. Come on." Kaz crawled out of view of the window, got up, and ran around to the side of the house before pulling out his comlink. "Yeager, come in. It's urgent."

"I'm here, Kaz. What's wrong?"

"Poe's dad is being held hostage by Terex." Kaz whispered.

"What?!" Yeager cried.

"I noticed another speeder parked in front of the house, so I snuck up to the window, which was open a bit, so I peeked and listened in." Kaz explained. "They probably have the same idea we do."

"Is it just Terex in there with Kes?" Yeager asked.

"No, there's three guys total." Kaz replied. "Could you maybe send two of the Aces down here?"

"I can't. They're off doing other things." Yeager replied.

"All the aces are busy?!" Kaz exclaimed in frustration.

"Pretty much." Yeager replied. "Kaz, you can do anything you put your mind to. Just be really smart and careful about this."

"Fine, thanks." Kaz turned off his comlink and took a deep breath.

XX

"You're going to call your son, Sergeant Dameron." Terex said. "Let me tell you what happens if you don't: my men and I will burn this entire moon and everyone on it to ashes. Word will reach Poe and he'll think he's lost everything: his home planet, his friends, and the last family member he has left, his father. Just think of the guilt he'll carry when he realizes he could have prevented it. Then I will kill his friends. Every single one of them. Then I will let him fall in love, and once he has children, guess what I'll do."

"You wouldn't." Kes growled.

"Oh, yes, I would." Terex chuckled. "You wanna hear the best part? I won't kill you. Instead, you will watch as your son suffers so much grief, agony, pain, and guilt. All because you wouldn't call him here. So..." Terex leaned over at eye level with Kes. "What's it gonna be?"

Kes glared at Terex, then bowed his head in defeat. He was about to respond when someone knocked at the door.

Terex quickly gagged Kes' mouth and turned to his men. "Go see who that is and get rid of them."

His men nodded and both of them headed to the door.

X

Kaz knocked on the front door and jumped back. He hoped this would work. Taking a deep breath, Kaz raised his blaster to the door. As soon as the door opened, he fired his blaster, which was set on stun. He walked inside, his blaster still raised. The second goon walked to the entryway, his own blaster raised. Kaz knelt down just as the goon fired his blaster. Kaz managed to stun the goon, too.

Terex wasn't fazed. He stood behind Kes, pulled on his hair to pull his head back, and held a knife to his throat. "Hello out there! Poe, I assume? Heh. I knew you'd come rushing here to rescue your father. But how did you know?"

"He doesn't." Kaz walked into the living room. "Kazuda Xiono of Hosnian Prime."

Terex was surprised, then realized who he was talking to. "Ah...yes. Kazuda Xiono. You're smarter than he let on."

"I'm guessing by 'he', you're referring to Commander Pyre." Kaz said.

"Hm. If you've come to stop me, you're wasting your time." Terex said.

"I've already called for reinforcements. They're on their way." Kaz lied.

"Don't insult my intelligence. You've come completely alone." Terex replied. Just as he said that, CB-23 came up behind him and shocked him unconscious.

"Perfect timing, Seebee, as usual." Kaz smiled and walked over to Kes and removed his gag.

Kes exhaled sharply. "Thank you. That was perfect timing."

"Of course." Kaz replied. He grabbed the knife and cut Kes free. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, now that I'm free." Kes replied. He stood up and rubbed his wrists.

Kaz strained as he lifted Terex up and pulled him into the chair. He huffed for breath, then turned to Kes. "Kes Dameron?"

"Yes."

"I'm with the Resistance." Kaz replied.

"Did Poe send you?"

"No. Jarek Yeager did." Kaz replied. "We have lost contact with the Resistance, and we were hoping you could help us."

Kes nodded. "Terex here had the same idea."

"He also planted a fake source that told Poe there was a spy on the Colossus on Castilon." Kaz said. "The 'First Order Spy' was just a distraction from figuring out their real plan: Starkiller Base."

"I see." Kes sighed. "Well, I'll try to contact Poe, but, I'm not sure he'll respond. I haven't heard from him since his mission on Jakku went south."

"'South'?" Kaz asked, concerned. "He told me he was going on a mission to Jakku. What happened?"

Six months ago...

Kes stacked a few crates of koyo melons in front of the storehouse. A landspeeder slowed to a stop in front of the house. Kes exhaled with relief as Poe climbed out of the speeder looking battered and bruised, but alive. Kes jogged over to Poe and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought I lost you." Kes said, his voice shaking. He pulled away and looked Poe up and down. "What happened?"

Poe exhaled sharply. "Long story short: my mission to Jakku went south, I was captured by the First Order, but I escaped. BB-8 and I got separated, my ship was destroyed...someone on Jakku gave me a ride here in exchange for some koyo melons."

Kes took a minute to process this information. He sighed and shook his head. "Well, I'm glad you're all right."

Back to the present, Kaz exhaled sharply. "Wow. I'm so sorry that happened. We got a distress signal from General Organa about five days after that from Crait, but long-range communications were out. Then like a day later, we got a message from Poe saying he needed a ship so he could rescue his friends."

Kes nodded again. "Well, let's hope our secret frequency still works." He headed to his holoprojector while Kaz tied Terex up, then went to tie the goons up.

XXX

Black Spire Outpost was surprisingly an ideal place for a Resistance base. There were quarters, refreshers, an armory, a war room, training rooms, a cafeteria, and a lounge. The Resistance took a huge hit on Crait, but was reborn with allies from all over the galaxy. People, supplies, and resources came from Mon Cala, Minfar, Ikkruk, Ryloth, Bespin, Rodia, Naboo, Corellia, Chandrila, and Batuu.

"All of these resources are great, and our army is growing, but, I still feel like we need more to match up with the First Order army." Leia was saying. "And we still don't know where the Colossus is."

Poe sighed quietly. He had already come to terms with the fact that Kaz and Yeager may be dead. He didn't want to drag anyone he cares about into this mess, but... "Well, I was thinking of recruiting people from my home planet."

Leia looked up at Poe in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. We're not desperate anymore, but we also could use more help." Poe shrugged. "I'll talk to my dad, see what he thinks and if anyone in the village would be willing to help."

Leia smiled and nodded. "That would be great. I will leave you to it."

"All right, General." Poe nodded and pulled out his comlink, which beeped. He turned it on. "Dad! Hey, I was just about to call you!"

"Hey, Poe," Kes greeted. "It's great to see you again."

"You, too." Poe replied. "So, I know I have been out of touch for a while..."

"Six months to be exact." Kes replied, good-naturedly.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Poe said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Um...so, the Resistance is growing again, but we could use more allies. So, I was wondering if you know anyone back home who would be interested in signing up."

"I do not. You'll have to come here and ask around."

"Okay. I'll be there in about half a day." Poe said.

"All right, but Poe, wait a minute, there's something you should know." Kes said. "An old enemy of yours showed up here earlier: Terex."

Poe's blood ran cold and he nearly dropped his comlink. "What?! What the hell is he doing there?"

"He and a few of his goons held me hostage until I contacted you." Kes explained. "Luckily, a young friend of yours and his droid rescued me before that could happen."

Poe sighed in relief. "Young friend? Who...?"

"I'll give you a hint: starts with a 'K'." Kes replied.

Poe's eyes widened in surprise, and he grinned. "Wait, Kaz?! He's alive?! He's there?! How?!"

"He had the same idea Terex did." Kes shrugged. "Fortunately, he had better intentions."

Poe laughed softly. "Great! Well, I'm so glad Kaz got there in time."

"Me, too." Kes replied. "Kaz also found out that there is no First Order spy on the Colossus."

Poe blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? My source explicitly told me..."

"Your source lied to you." Kes replied. "It was a distraction so you wouldn't figure out their real plan."

Poe gripped the comlink tight and clenched his teeth. "Un...kriffing...!" He took a deep breath and swallowed his anger. "Thank you, Dad. I will see you in half a day."

"You're welcome. Safe travels."

Poe turned off his comlink and threw it across the room and grunted loudly in anger. He felt like such a fool! He thought his source was trustworthy! He sent some random kid on a mission for kriffing nothing! He slammed his fists on a holoprojector and sighed.

"Family drama?" Poe whirled around and saw Ray standing by the door.

Poe scoffed. "Rey, you have [i]no idea[/i] how much I wish that were the case."

"Sounds serious." Rey said.

"It is." Poe replied. "I just found out that my so-called 'reliable source' lied to me about there being a First Order spy on the Colossus! And to top it all off, my old arch-enemy Terex is on Yavin 4, and he held my father hostage until he could contact me!"

"Yikes." Rey replied with her eyes widened .

"Yeah, luckily Kaz showed up and rescued him." Poe shook his head, then had a realization. "Oh my Force. It was Terex. [i]He[/i] was the unreliable source! [i]Oh[/i], how could I have been so [i]kriffing stupid?![/i]"

"Okay, let's take it down a notch." Rey held her hands up to calm him. "Don't let him get to you."

Poe took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah...all right, we need to move. Have the Falcon prepped and ready to go, and get Rose. I'll get Finn and BB-8. I'm gonna need all of you with me on this."

"All right." Rey pulled out her comlink. "Chewie, prep the Falcon. We're going to Yavin 4."


End file.
